HOW “Trapped in a Purple Haze,” made it as a TV movie in this day of “historical” recreations of the lives of the saints (rock ‘n’ rollers and others usually still alive) and dumb-and-dumber woman-as-victim movies is beyond me. Why?

Because “Trapped in a Purple Haze,” is really, really good.

It’s good almost in the way TV movies were good in the ’70’s when they made things like “Brian’s Song.” (About a dead football player, instead of a living legend.)

If you weren’t alive then, let me explain.

Once upon a time, when variety shows were king and TV movies were a new idea, networks made good movies. Then, tragically, Earth was invaded by idiots from outer space who stole the brains of TV execs.

Then these uncreative monsters declared that only Armand Assante and Jaclyn Smith (and if she was busy, Meredith Baxter or Jane Seymour) could star in TV movies.

Not that I don’t consider myself a lover/connoisseur of cheese-ola, but even I can’t bear to see Armand Assante’s face one more time.

Then, out of nowhere comes this actual, wrenching, and at times even harrowing made-for-TV movie about heroin addiction. Not pretty and not too prettied up, either.

It stars Jonathan Jackson (Max) as a nice upper middle class kid who’s a day student at the local university.

He comes from a really nice family, which includes a mother who is an artist/pain-in-the-butt, a father who is the nicest guy in the world (but not too strong), a regular little sister, and a gay older brother who, for once, is played as a normal human who just happens to be gay.

Max is a really good hockey player whose mother thinks she’s got the next Picasso on her hands.

He’s not a bad painter, but he’s just a regular kid who’s an art major but would rather be playing hockey.

On campus, Max runs into Molly (Carly Pope from “Popular”) who is more of a free spirit than he’s used to.